6.4-magnitude quake hits western Greece, no casualties reported

Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-26 19:25:12|Editor: Xiang Bo

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Photo taken on Oct. 26, 2018 shows road damaged by a strong earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale which hit the Ionian Sea at Zakynthos, Greece. A strong earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale hit western Greece early Friday, with no casualties reported so far, Greek seismologists have said. (Xinhua/Antonis Nikolopoulos)

ATHENS, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- A strong earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale hit western Greece early Friday, with no casualties reported so far, Greek seismologists have said.

The tremor's epicenter was located in the sea area some 44 km southwest of Zakynthos island in the Ionian Sea at a depth of 10 km, about 280 km southwest of Athens, according to revised estimates of the Athens Geodynamics Institute of the National Observatory.

The strong quake hit the island at 1:53 a.m. local time (2253 GMT on Thursday), followed by a 5.6-magnitude aftershock and a 5.1-magnitude tremor that struck the same area 16 minutes and 29 minutes later respectively, according to a revised official press statement released by the National Observatory.

The tremor has caused material damage and electricity cuts and prompted residents to run out onto the streets, according to the Greek national news agency AMNA.

According to deputy governor of Zakynthos Lefteris Niotopoulos, the infrastructure has withstood the tremor and electricity has been restored.

However, schools and public services will remain closed on Friday as experts are checking the buildings, he said.

Greek seismologists called for calm. The 6.4-magnitude quake was most likely the main tremor, Efthymios Lekkas, president of Greece's Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization, told local "Parapolitika" (Behind the scene) radio station.

"It will not be a surprise for scientists if tremors up to 6.2 on the Richter scale are recorded in the following hours," Gerasimos Papadopoulos, director of the Athens Geodynamic Institute, told local news portal "in-gr."

In 1999, over 100 people were killed when a 6-magnitude quake hit Athens. In 1953, more than 400 were killed on Zakynthos and nearby islands when a 7.3 quake hit the Ionian Sea. In 1997 a 6.6 tremor caused material damages.